Making a complaint to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

​​On this page

• Who can make a complaint
• Making a complaint about the conduct of an IRB member
• Making a complaint about an interpreter
• Making a complaint about an unauthorized paid representative
• Making a complaint about interpretation
• Making a complaint about the conduct and quality of services of a contracted designated representative

Who can make a complaint

Anyone can make a complaint to the IRB about:

• the conduct of an IRB member
• a person who represents a client at the IRB for a fee, but is not authorized by a law society, the Chambres des notaires du Québec, or the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants
• the conduct and services of an Interpreter
• the conduct and quality of services of a contracted designated representative

Making a complaint about the conduct of an IRB member

Members of the IRB are held to the highest standards of conduct. You may file a complaint about the conduct of any IRB member either by email at irb.irb-ombuds-conduct-conduite.cisr@irb-cisr.gc.ca, or by mail.

Your complaint must be about

• how the member behaved while performing their duties.
• Refer to the Code of Conduct for Members of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Section 9 to 15 contains the standards of conduct that can be used to form the basis of your complaint.

Your complaint cannot be about

• what a member decides in a case
• questions such as lack of procedural fairness and natural justice

You cannot submit a complaint anonymously. However, the identities of everyone involved will be kept confidential to the extent that it is possible to do so, subject to the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act.

You are encouraged to use the complaint form to submit your complaint. However, you may also submit a complaint without using this form. If you choose to do so, please refer to section 4.2 of the procedures for making a complaint about a member which outlines the details that you need to include in your complaint.

Complaints will be actioned within the established service standards for the processing of member complaints.

The annual reports on complaints made against members as well as case summaries are also available.

Making a complaint about an unauthorized paid representative

If the counsel representing you before the IRBis not a lawyer in good standing with the bar of a province or territory; a notary in good standing with the Chambre des notaires du Québec; or an immigration consultant in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, your counsel is therefore considered an “unauthorized representative”.

You may choose to be represented by a counsel who is an “unauthorized representative”, however, this individual is not allowed to charge you a fee (ask you for money or compensation).

If you have paid your counsel and they are “unauthorized”, you may choose to file a complaint with the IRB against your counsel. You must express your complaint about your counsel to the IRB member during your hearing.

For more information, refer to the Policy on disclosing information regarding the conduct of authorized representatives to regulatory bodies.

Making a complaint about an interpreter

Interpreters are important contributors to the refugee and immigration system who interpret dialogue during the proceedings. Whatever is said in one language should be interpreted faithfully and accurately into the other language using the exact equivalent meaning and structure.

Please fill out this complaint form and send it to the attention of the Interpreter Unit of the regional offices where the incident occurred.

Making a complaint about interpretation

Complaints about interpretation should be made to the Member in the hearing room.

Making a complaint about the conduct and quality of services of a contracted designated representative

Information on how to make a complaint about the conduct and services of a contracted designated representative.

What is a contracted designated representative

If the subject of proceedings is under 18 years of age or unable, in the opinion of the applicable division, to understand the nature of the proceedings, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) must designate a representative. This individual is called a designated representative (DR).

In general, the key role of the DR is to protect and advance the interests of the subject of proceedings they represent.

A DR is usually a:

• parent
• family member
• legal guardian
• friend of the person appearing before the IRB

When there is no such person available to act as DR, the IRB will retain the services of a contracted designated representative (contracted DR). Contracted DRs are bound by the Code of Conduct for Designated Representatives to ensure they uphold standards of conduct and other obligations that govern the professional and ethical responsibilities of representatives designated by the IRB.

How to make your complaint

If you believe that a contracted DR has not performed their work at a standard that ensures the fairness of IRB proceedings for the subject they represent and the integrity of the administration of justice, or fulfilled their responsibilities, you may:

1. fill out the complaint form (or write a letter or an email)
2. submit the complaint by:
• email: dr.rd@irb-cisr.gc.ca
• or by mail:
  Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
  Minto Place, Canada Building
  344 Slater St, 12th floor
  Ottawa ON K1A 0K1

See the Contracted Designated Representative Quality Assurance Framework for more details about the complaint process.